Is it better to keep a customer or replace them?

“$29 per month… NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY!” Most of us have seen something like this and thought less than pleasant things about a vendor who hangs these new customer offers out in public where existing customers can see them. That bargain basement deal that’s not available to existing customers doesn’t make you feel good about your decade-long relationship with that business. The loyal customers who have stuck through good times and bad with that vendor – including their mistakes (which we all make).

The thought?

“Where’s my screaming deal?”

It isn’t that these deals are inherently bad. The mistake is putting them out there in front of everyone – including your current customers. If you can find a way to avoid showing the “loss leader for new customers only” offer to existing customers – avoid it. In some media, you can’t avoid it – so don’t use that kind of offer there. It ticks off your loyal customers. Every. Single. Time. Your customer service team gets to take flak about this each time you run these promotions.

Meanwhile, a lack of communication to existing customers plants the thought in customers’ minds that their vendors take them for granted. We know you’re thinking of us when you outsource customer service to Jupiter to save $1.29 per hour, or when you discuss how to shrink receivables. What sort of effort do you invest to retain existing customers?

If you have convinced your customers that you aren’t thinking about them & that you’re more concerned about getting new customers – why should they feel differently about you? You’re advertising for new clients everywhere. While those ads are out there chasing down more new customers to fill the leaky customer bucket, are your long-time loyal customers (and the rest of your customers) being ignored?

All the single ladies

Look at it this way: If you’re someone’s steady “significant other” and they are constantly out chasing down new “others”, most of you wouldn’t take that so well.

Why should your customers feel any different when they aren’t being wooed, cared for, thanked, communicated with, or given any special attention? They only seem to get attention when they call to report (or complain) about a service, delivery, or product failure. Once the initial sale is concluded, is the only time you connect with your clients when they contact you, or something has broken or otherwise gone wrong?

“That’s what everyone else does.”

You might be thinking “That’s what everyone else does. Why should I behave differently?”

You are, or have been, a customer of car dealers, cable companies, dry cleaners, restaurants, various repair shops, handyman services, plumbers, sewage tank pumpers, electricians, hair salons, clothing stores, hardware stores, quick lube shops, etc. Almost all of them are advertising for new customers this week. How many of them are ALSO communicating with you to keep you, to bring you back, to make you feel good about being a customer, and/or encourage you to refer them to someone you respect and/or care about?

Very few.

They’ll likely continue appearing to take you for granted for weeks, months, or years – all while chasing new customers, all while grumbling about churn as they slowly lose customers to someone else’s $29 new customer offer. Don’t be that business.

Doing only one of these (looking for new, caring for existing) is not sustainable. Yes, I know it’s more work to do both. Most places need to get new customers, but most of those same places spend a lot more money & effort to get a new customer than they do to keep and care for an existing customer. Doing both means making an effort to protect the asset you paid for – yes, customers are an asset. Perhaps not in accounting terms, but in the real world where customers don’t grow on trees, we’d all rather have more long-time customers and others begging to do business with us.

Don’t spend $12 to get a customer this month, only to ignore them hereafter and hope they stick around, and then go spend $12 to get another one. That assumes you know how much it costs to get a customer (and it’s always more than you think).

Recycling customers is expensive.

Take better care of your existing clientele. Well cared for clients tend to buy more, buy more often, & for a longer period of time. They refer their friends & colleagues because they finally found someone who gets it. Be that someone.